Something worth fighting for
by Shantari
Summary: Ginny, with her two best friends, is in charge of the D.A. as it fights against a totalitarian nightmare of Hogwarts. Everyone she cares about are in constant danger. And things are about to get worse... Neville/Ginny.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:** This fic just had to be, with bad ass Neville Longbottom running the D.A. together with miss Ginny Weasley. Will become N/G, so if you have a problem with that pairing (what, are you crazy?) you won't like this fic. The title was inspired by the line from the OotP-movie. Suitable for a fic centred around the D.A.

**Disclaimer:** I am not JK Rowling. This is not for profit. This is a behind the scenes of MY DH, of which the epilogue was ripped out of!

**Bro:** Hey, sis, have you seen my copy of the Deathly Hallows that you borrowed to check up on some bits for your fic?

**Me again:** ...

Uh-oh.

Chapter 1.

The calm before the storm.

The galleon in her breast pocket got warm. Ginny almost dropped the fork in her bacon and egg, and quickly stole a glance in Neville's direction further down the table. It was his turn to decide their meeting time, and just as she had feared, he was doing it at the table. Sure, his hands were under the table, but how reckless could you get? No one else had noticed though, and she returned her attention to her food so to keep it that way the best she could. She started to realise that this was how it felt to be the one witnessing the reckless behaviour instead of being the one behind it.

xxxxx

It wasn't until later when she arrived at headquarters, as usual one half hour before the meeting time indicated on the coin, that she was relatively safe to speak her mind to Neville. As long as it was safe with Luna around, and that it was to her.

"What were you thinking?"

"About what?" Neville seemed fairly oblivious, while Luna was distracted from her usual check on if there had sneaked any wrackspurts into the room since their last meeting.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!"

Neville looked confused at first, and then remembered how Ginny had glanced at him when he had charmed his galleon.

"Ah, you mean about my charming the coin during lunch?"

"I wondered why the galleon got warm while I was eating," said Luna mildly curious. "I had figured that it was just my imagination and that the date had changed during last night."

"Yes, well," said Ginny, "it was reckless at any rate! In case you hadn't noticed, there are three death eaters that dine with us every day, sitting at a elevated table where they have clear sight of anything not-ministry approved!"

"I know," said Neville. "And believe me, I was worried myself about it. But I didn't have that much of a choice. We needed a time for this meeting fast, and we needed to get people knowing as soon as possible. People are going to be returning home for the holidays in just two days, all of us included. And the ones staying needs to know what the overall strategy is."

He walked up to her and gave her a friendly pat on the back.

"Besides," he said teasingly. "I hardly think that little miss Lets-break-into-Snape's-office should be giving speeches about being reckless."

"Yes, well," said Ginny once again, only now she was blushing furiously. "That was an entirely different thing! We all agreed to trust Dumbledore no matter what Skeeter thinks, you know, since we're his army and all. And I heard Harry and Ron mention that he had left the sword to Harry in his will. There had to be some reason behind that, especially as Scrimgeour said it wasn't his to give."

"I haven't forgotten why we did it, Ginny," Neville said, and looked as close as he would ever be to roll his eyes. "But this is important as well. Not just for strategy, but for moral. The ones that have decided to stay will be more alone than the others, and they will need to see that the others will still keep the flame alive."

"Lets not forget," Luna added, "that the ones going home need to be reminded that what we do here is important, so that they aren't tempted to stay at home with their families, no matter how criminal that is now. And this will also be our farewell party in a way, won't it? That's why the three of us are going to go to Aberforth and buy enough butterbeer for the entire army, no?"

xxxxx

Ginny looked at her two best friends still with her at Hogwarts. And she melted at last.

"You're right. It's just... I'm so worried. Since I got that letter from the twins, I just feel so helpless."

Neville and Luna looked at each other. They realised that the isolation from "what was going on out there?" was much more taxing on Ginny than on either of them. She had more family members to worry about, not to mention a no 1 Undesirable for a boyfriend. Even though she had told them that they had broken up before summer, it was in name only. She still searched through every copy of the Prophet and The Quibbler for any mention of Harry Potter having been caught.

Luna took the first step, and walked up and embraced Ginny.

"It's nothing to worry about. We're with you, aren't we?"

Neville walked up and joined the hug.

"And as long as we're together we can't be helpless, can we?"

Ginny finally slipped her own arms around her friends.

"Because when you think about it," said Neville, determined to cheer her up. "How can you be helpless? You've got an entire army backing you up!"

And then she laughed. It was impossible not to, and it felt so good.

"Come on now," said Luna. "We still need to get that butterbeer before they arrive. We'll probably have to ask Aberforth to help us carry it all, and you know he'll be grouchy about that."

Neville broke free from the hug and went to the portrait of the mystery girl that held the connection to Hogsmeade. Luna and Ginny trailed behind.

"And think about it. We'll soon be with our families, and we'll get to know about everything that's happened that we couldn't be told of otherwise."

Ginny agreed with her, but silently she thought that the reason why she was so nerve strung was that it now was so close to her finally getting to see her family. Did dad still have his job? Fred had mentioned in the letter that some death eater had threatened dad by telling him that he was being watched. Did the ministry know that he was a order member? Did they know that one of his children was tagging along with Harry Potter when he was supposed to be home with spattergroit? And did they know that his only daughter was part of the Hogwarts rebellion? As they walked through the tunnel, she was silently thanking all the threads of fate for having Neville and Luna with her. They kept her sane, the two of them. Now that was probably a first for Luna to be thought of that way, she thought to herself with a smile.

xxxxx

"So," said Neville as the last butterbeer was handed out. "This is our last meeting before Christmas leave. As you all know, not continuing our usual approach to Christmas leave from earlier years, may be noted by Snape, the Death Eater that has been at Hogwarts for as long as any of us has been a student here. So those of you that would have returned for Christmas had things been different, must still do so, and those of you who have not must remain here like usual. If we are to keep our organisation secret, any non anonymous action by a member must be inconspicuous."

Ginny looked around the gathered crowd. They were looking so attentive at what Neville was saying. She knew it was her turn to speak now, just as she, Neville and Luna had decided before the meeting.

"Which brings us to the role call of the students remaining for the holidays. Please stretch out your hand if you're going to be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas." While some hands flew up in the air, others were a bit unsure. "Don't be shy," she encouraged them. "We just want to know how many of you are going to be staying."

When she finished counting it was about five hands in the air. Hardly a surprising number, the few first and second years they had with them had practically been commanded by them to go home, and anyone having an uneven record for going home or not would surely go home to see their family. She looked towards Neville, they had let the strategy for the staying depend on how many would be doing so.

"Right," said Neville. "Good. Now listen, those of you who are going to be staying here. For the continued fight and for your own safety, your strategy is to keep low. Spend the holidays eating good food and have fun. Don't do any unnecessary trips to Headquarters, and instead try to get some practising done in your dormitories and common rooms, but only if you're sure that you will not be seen." He looked at the five students remaining, and Ginny knew that he also saw the slight disappointment in some of their faces. "I know you want to keep it up, but you have to be patient. If something happens while there are so few of you left at school, it will be easier for Snape to narrow down the suspects, and one or all of you could get caught. It's best to take advantage of our hidden numbers, they still don't know how many of us they are up against. We have to win this war together."

Even Luna seemed to have changed her facial expression as the others had. There was no denying how much Neville had grown these past few months of their rebellion. Whether it was teaching the other students how to fight, or to stand as an example in the classroom, or like now to inspire with words and passion the army to follow the way they had to, he had become so respected by the others it almost surprised Ginny that people still felt comfortable calling him by his first name. Almost, because in spite of what one might have thought, he had still remained that shy and sweet boy who had asked her to the Yuleball a lifetime ago.

xxxxx

"Now, for those of you returning home," Luna continued, keeping with the protocol. "We urge you to remind your families that He-who-must-not-be-named hasn't won as long as there is resistance. Harry Potter may be Undesirable no 1 in the eyes of the ministry, but not in the eyes of us who believe in freedom and that the purity of your blood doesn't make you a better person. Remember to tell your parents how to tune in on Potterwatch on your wireless, and that the password for the Christmas special is "Patronus". Also, The Quibbler will keep on reporting on how you can help the fight, and also report on the deaths and attacks that other papers won't mention. Also remember what you have learnt here, and see if you can teach some of it to your family members and friends."

"And most importantly," added Ginny, wondering for herself if it seemed too obvious that they had rehearsed this meeting, "do make sure that you return back. By which we mean for you to avoid doing something stupid like getting yourselves arrested or killed. Remember, we're still more sheltered here at Hogwarts than we will be at home. Here we can at worst get detention or expulsion. And so far we have at least managed to avoid the latter." She didn't mention that that was probably because Voldemort _wanted_ to keep them there. "However, if your family insists on leaving the country, we will understand if you don't return." She gave a quick glance towards Neville and Luna, and returned to the D.A. members. "That's about it, Happy Holidays!"

"Hear hear!" One of the students called out, her butterbeer in the air. Others followed suit, and their leader trio held their bottles together in a private cheer resonating with the others.

"United we stand," whispered Neville so only Ginny and Luna could hear him.

"Divided we fall," Ginny whispered back.

"The net is stronger than the chain," Luna whispered, the cryptic saying that they had deemed as their own secret motto. She had explained that while Voldemort and the Death Eaters were a chain, where the chain was only as strong as its weakest link, Dumbledore's Army was a net, each thread using its strengths to cover for the weaknesses of others.

"Happy Holidays!" they all cheered, and soon the bottles were emptied.

xxxxx

"I can hardly wait to see father again. He's written to me about a special surprise for Christmas." Luna looked up at the grey cloud covered sky. "I wonder if it could be a Crumple-Horned Snorkack..."

"Didn't you tell us that after a whole summer in Sweden, you found nothing?" Ginny was sitting on her trunk, anxious for the carriages to come. She was the only one of their trio that still couldn't see the thestrals pulling them. She wondered if she would remain in that one last innocence for long...

"Yes, but that doesn't mean no one else could find them. If there's been sightings, there's bound to be proof."

Luna's optimism was without boundaries as usual.

"Well, I hope your father is alright. He's been taking a huge risk running The Quibbler like he has. No matter if he doesn't have as many subscribers as the Prophet does, they won't keep looking idly on it."

"I know," said Luna, with a sad smile. "I worry a bit about him. Because I know that he won't stop doing what he's doing even to save his life. They would have to offer him something much more valuable than that to get him on their side."

"Like what?" Neville piped in, curious as they were waiting. Luna seemed to be thinking about it for a while.

"Maybe the hallows that make you master of Death, or... the cauldron from which the skald's mead comes that makes you skald like a wise and learned man."

Ginny had to stifle a giggle. She didn't want to laugh at some of the more ridiculous notions of Luna, especially when she knew that most of the things Luna thought of did make more sense than first appeared. Though it was doubtless these examples were far from it. Hallows that made you master of death indeed! If there was such a thing, she would order death to do away with Voldemort and the Death Eaters and to keep away from all her loved ones. Bill would not be home for Christmas, she remembered. He was going to celebrate Christmas with Fleur. At least he would be safe... It was strange, as long as she had had her mother's support, and not been forced to accept the inevitability of their marriage, it had been easy to dislike and despise Fleur. But after that time in the hospital wing, even though she had still been scorning her afterwards, she and Fleur had only got closer. That summer she had actually opened her eyes to how kind her new sister in law was, and had by the time of the wedding become proud that she now was part of the family.

"Ah, finally," said Neville. The carriages had arrived to take them to the train.

xxxxx

The three of them managed to get a compartment in private on the far end of the train, even if it had meant having to silently remind others that the D.A.'s secrets weren't safe from other students. They mostly craved the isolation, because like they had been doing on the train ride last September, they were going to be planning D.A. business. Just to be on the safe side, they had loads of Exploding Snap cards, and Chocolate Frogs to give the impression that they were just three old friends passing the time on a dreary old train. They were looking through schedules that other students had supplied, providing holes for smaller meetings. Big meetings like the one before Christmas were very rare, and only when it came to overall battle plans. Usually they met in smaller groups for certain strikes. There were goals to be met, the one they prioritised being to keep morals up on their side and morals down on the other side. The very fact that they had given the Carrows and Snape a run for their money, had attracted more students to join them. Painting "Dumbledore's Army, now recruiting" was just to point out what they were joining.

"We have to find out what they are doing with the missing students," Neville said.

"If they're not sending them home or to Azkaban, they must be doing something much worse to them," said Ginny, thinking hard about the options. "George once mentioned that Filch has chains in his office which he has been dying to use on students. You don't think they're torturing them in the basement, do you?" Though it was easy to imagine Filch doing that in one of the twins' jokes, or in reality itself, the very thought of actually doing that in their time...

"It's possible," said Neville with afterthought. "We can't rule it out."

"I think," said Luna, "one of the third years in my house said they heard the first year who was taken away screaming in one of the corridors, on the lower levels. But he hasn't heard anything since, nor has anyone else."

Neville's knuckles were turning white, as were Ginny's she noticed, as she looked down at the piece of parchment that was crumpling in her hands. She felt a urge to go back to school and blast the bat bogey hex all over Snape, the Carrows and especially Filch. Although he was a Squib he had been all over with joy from the change of regime, finally a chance for him to be as cruel as he had longed to be towards the students. What would happen when things turned around on him wasn't given a second thought.

xxxxx

"They'll have to have let him return to his family, won't they?" asked Luna, a tinge of worry in her voice. "Someone's going to ask for him."

"Just a bunch of filthy muggles that don't have the right to know what's happened to their own son," said Ginny with scorn. "Just like they teach us in class."

"Well," said Neville, laying a now much calmer hand on Ginny's schoulder, "we know better, so by the time things turn around, the joke's on them."

They heard someone getting closer to their compartment, so instead of replying Ginny took up her cards, and the others followed in unison.

"Snapple crack!" she shouted gleefully, having laid out a hand of cards that would either award her six points or explode in her hands, depending on what the others had.

Before the others could lay out their cards, the door opened and Draco Malfoy entered. Completely ignoring him, Luna and Neville laid out their cards.

"Sniggely dingel," Neville said in a defeated voice, as his hand only awarded one point.

"Bongo crash." Luna said, her voice not hinting at the victory of having a hand of twelve points. Promptly, Ginny's and Neville's cards exploded, leaving a trail of smoke in the air that Draco, as he was inhaling to speak in his coldest voice ended up filling his lungs with. He started to cough as they finally turned their attention towards him. Surprisingly they found that he was alone for once, Crabbe and Goyle nowhere to be seen. He quickly tried to get back his dignity and gave them his usual cold sneer.

xxxxx

"You know, Looney," he said, smirking. "Usually when you have such a good hand as the Bongo Crash, you play it out immediately, rather than risk someone getting a better hand while you wait, or your cards exploding because of the time. Not that I've played that children's game since I was twelve, but you know, common sense is good to exercise every now and then."

"Well," said Luna. "I like the excitement I get from the possible risk of the cards exploding, and it's not like it hurts to have the cards blow up in your hands. But while we're on the subject of common sense, how about the fact that none of the usual rules apply for underage magic on the train? And the fact that you come on your own to try and pick a fight with three students who are each one at least as good as yourself? How would you exercise common sense with these facts?"

Ginny burst out laughing, not believing that Malfoy had actually tried to bait Luna.

"Who says I'm here to pick a fight?" Draco Malfoy was determined not to give up just yet.

"Lets see," said Ginny feeling like her usual gutsy self. "You come in without knocking first, which is generally considered rude no matter what family you are from. You insult Luna, and don't even use her proper name which by the way is pronounced Loo-nah and not Loo-nee."

He flushed a shade of pink, but he still remained otherwise unperturbed.

xxxxx

"Actually I just came to offer you three a warning. You three are all of pureblood lines, and have therefor so far been relatively safe at Hogwarts." At 'relatively' he nodded his chin towards the slash that Neville had received on his face during muggle studies two weeks ago for having questioned the purity of the Carrows' blood line. "But those pureblood families of yours can still get you into a lot of trouble. My aunt has told me a lot about your parents, Longbottom. Especially about how they screamed." Neville was rapidly losing blood in his face, either of anger or how the pain of being reminded of how it felt to see his parents every year in their state caused by Malfoy's aunt. But Draco just moved his eyes towards Luna. "And while your name is Loo-nah, and not Loo-nee, that's more than can be said about your father. You really think your father's stinking paper is going to make it in this new world order?" Luna showed no sign of being affected, mainly because she wasn't. She was certain her father would be alright. Disappointed in her lack of reaction, Malfoy finally turned towards Ginny. "I don't have to tell you Weasley, about the blood traitor status on your family, especially when you keep housing Potter over the summer." He smirked and leered towards her. "And we should probably not talk about what they would do if they knew what you've been to Potter. Or rather what you did with him." He stepped threateningly closer and lowered himself until he was almost eye to eye with her, only a little more elevated. "So tell me," he whispered in a confidential tone, "was he as bad in bed as he was at picking his whore?"

xxxxx

Ginny doubted that there was any part of her that didn't went scarlet right then and there. Neville flew past her and landed a punch so hard that Malfoy slumped down against the door leading out of the compartment. For one moment, everything was perfectly still besides the rushing images past the window. Then Luna walked up to Malfoy and examined him.

"He's not dead, but I think you knocked him out cold," she said and turned back to give him another look. "I wonder if it gave him a concussion?"

"There's nothing in the world that can convince me that he didn't deserve it for that comment." Neville was absolutely furious. Ginny... She was still stunned over hearing such a thing. But it was almost just as shocking to see Neville punch someone. He turned towards her.

"Hey," he said, hugging her lightly with one arm. "Don't pay any attention to what he said. We know what Harry really means to you. He's just upset that the only girls that would look at him twice are whores paid for by his dad."

She whimpered a small thanks, but hardly dared to look at him. Neville probably didn't know, and she doubted that Luna did either, but the combination of Ginny's and Harry's first kiss and the fact that he had walked away from her during Dumbledore's funeral, had been the hottest gossip. At least the break up had served the purpose Harry had given for it. No one, besides her friends, believed that Ginny had been anything else but a quick snog for Harry. And now it was apparent that those were the nice rumours flying about.

xxxxx

This wasn't the time to be a sissy, she thought angrily at herself.

"We better carry him out," she said, taking the lead, "and clean of the blood running out of his nose. Perhaps we can make it seem as though he feel asleep? I know there's at least one more compartment that's empty around here..."

Luna sneaked out first in the corridor, looking for the closest empty compartment. Neville and Ginny lugged the Slytherin into the compartment while Luna kept watch. It was heavy work, he may have been thin but he was still tall. Lucky Ginny had been working out this summer, in pure frustration of still not being old enough to perform magic outside of Hogwarts. And Neville was no pushover either. She couldn't help but wonder where he had grown those muscles from...

"You alright, Ginny?"

She had been staring at him.

"Yes, fine. Lets just leave Malfoy here and get back before anyone sees us."

Finally in their own compartment they were free to let go of the breath they had been holding without noticing.

"I hope you don't get in trouble for this."

"Don't think about it, Ginny," Neville said, turning to face her, and resting his hands on her shoulders to keep her facing him. "No matter if they have me scrubbing all the boys' bathrooms the muggle way for two weeks straight, or whatever else they think of doing against me, I would do it again given the choice. He's got to learn some way that you get what you ask for."

Now she had an inkling where the muscles came from.

xxxxx

"I don't think there's any real danger," said Luna, who had been first to get seated, and was talking behind a copy of a book titled Seldom Seen Sightings. "He was so knocked out of it that his memory was probably jogged. But it was rather peculiar, wasn't it?"

"What was?" Ginny asked, sitting down beside her and stealing a glance into the book.

"Draco Malfoy has never picked a fight with us, unless he had back up."

"Perhaps Crabbe and Goyle are staying at Hogwarts for the Holidays?" Neville got seated opposite of the girls.

"Yes probably... But why would he do it then?"

Ginny agreed with her.

"It is strange. Malfoy doesn't do something risky unless he gets something out of it." She looked out through the window at the darkening skies. "But what?"

xxxxx

They spent the rest of the time not talking about the D.A. There would be time for that when they returned, and it was getting riskier as they got closer to London. Instead they played more Exploding Snap, read books, and laughed and joked. Luna shared the reading of her Seldom Seen Sights book with Ginny pointing out her own views on some of the material.

"This illustration of Blinking Whirwings isn't accurate," Luna said.

Luna had told Ginny several times now that she saw a swarm of Whirwings in her first year at Hogwarts. Blinking Whirwings were a fairy tale, told to wizarding children to encourage honourable traits in them, since the Whirwings only showed themselves to those of valour and wit or whatever it was mum told her. Ron once said that he had a dream about seeing a swarm, but that he still wasn't sure whether it had been a dream or not.

"Hmm, how soon till we're there," asked the Ravenclaw girl, fidgeting in her seat.

"Not long now," Neville said, looking at his coming of age watch. "Ten minutes."

"Hmm, then I better put my stuff back in my trunk."

"Why," asked Ginny. "It won't take two minutes to pack as it is."

"Yes, but I need to use the bathroom, and if the trunk is packed ahead of time I won't have to stress about it later."

"You expect to be in the bathroom for a long time?" Neville looked confused.

"I expect having difficulty finding a bathroom first," she answered as she put down her last chocolate frog in her trunk and closed it.

"I saw one before when we looked for this compartment," Ginny said. "Next car, to the right."

"Thanks, Ginny," she said and walked up to the door. "If I take longer than expected, I guess we'll be seeing each other next year."

Ginny smiled at her friend.

"Happy Christmas, Luna."

"Happy Christmas Luna," Neville added.

"Happy Nargle-free Christmas to both of you." She disappeared out the door. "I'll owl you about the Snorkack."

"Make sure you do!" Ginny called back at her.

"Dad!" Ginny ran up and hugged her father tightly.

"Your mother sends her love," he said, hugging her back. "She's waiting back at the Burrow, it's not safe to travel in numbers. Now let me take your trunk for you."

He gently levitated it up on a carriage, while Ginny looked back at where she had left Neville. She saw his old grandma, whom she had only met once before, walking up and hugging him. Wonder if she knew what he had been doing this past semester.

"Ready to go home?" Her father stretched out his hand to her. She looked around the platform one last time. There she saw Mr Lovegood waiting for his daughter. Good, the three of them would all have someone to go home with. She just hoped that the same could be said about the other Army members turning home.

"Yes." As she clasped his hand, she knew that for one small moment, there was no pressure of leadership and no strikes at authority to be planned. Now there was only being with her family, and hearing everything they had been through. Everything else, she would face with her friends, after the holidays.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's notes:** And here we get to some of the Ginny-angst which this fic will have loads of. Might be a bit melodramatic at points.

Chapter 2,

Lunar eclipse.

It felt like only a second had passed since she last stood here, hugging her father. Now she was hugging him again, but this time as a good bye. It had been a tearful farewell back at the Burrow, and mum had nearly kept her home just so she would be under her mother's protective vision. But like dad had been forced to tell mum over and over again, she had to go. It would be even more dangerous for her to skip school now that attendance was mandatory. Not to mention for the rest of the family.

xxxxx

Ginny wondered what her father would think if he knew what she was doing? What she was participating in. She guessed, knowing how her father had been about the incident at the Ministry of Magic, that he would be torn between paternal pride and parental worry. All through Christmas break she had been very careful to make her time at Hogwarts seem as boring as possible, of course with that one exception... Her twin brothers just would not let her rest until they had all the details about her plan for breaking into Snape's office with Neville and Luna.

xxxxx

"Now make sure that you stay out of trouble this semester," her father admonished her. "No more incidents like the last one, understood?"

"Yes, dad," she answered, a bit too easily.

"I know how you feel, sweetie," he told her, looking into her eyes, as if he was for the first time in her life, speaking to her like an adult witch. One capable of making her own decisions. "But you're not in an ideal position to affect what's happening. Right now, you're still underage, and in the hands of an authority I know you long to thwart. I know, because I raised you. The key that you must use to decide how you lead your life is, that you must never sacrifice your life for a goal you can't achieve. Because you, who are so young and so loved, must fully understand what it is you're sacrificing. And if you throw it away for something that won't at least change the world in its fundamentals for the better of all mankind... it's not worth it. Your family values it more than you can possibly know."

"I know that, dad," she answered, keeping eye contact and smiling a lovingly pleasing smile. "More than you can possibly know, do I realise how much I'm loved by how many people."

He hugged her again, apparently satisfied with her answer. And what she said had been true. Just not the meaning she had attached to it...

xxxxx

She stepped on the train and saw Michael Corner and Neville Longbottom talking with each other. Walking up to them, she greeted both of her friends happily.

"So, what's new?"

"Nothing much," said Michael. "Slow Christmas season, Death Eaters took a holiday too, I guess, so not that much war going on."

He was shushed by Ernie Macmillan who showed up from nowhere.

"Don't say things like that! If the wrong people heard you..."

"Bah," Michael derided him. "The only one that's 'taboo' to say is the one we never use any way, so why should we care about-"

"Don't you get it!" Ernie was almost besides himself. "No one is supposed to know what's really happening. We have to keep them believing that's how it is."

As Michael and Ernie got themselves more and more worked up on the issue, Ginny took Neville by the arm and led him to the compartment they had rode in last time.

"You know," Neville said as they closed the door behind them, "I can't help but think that we've overlooked that one issue. Should we keep their secret in favour of our own safety, or should we rebel in more ways than one?"

"I think that's handled by our Second Reformed D.A. principle," Ginny answered lazily as she opened her trunk and withdrew one of the extendable ears that she had gotten from her brothers over Christmas. "The one that says that all non-anonymous actions must follow the rules, to avoid us all being captured one by one."

She set up the ear towards the corridor, and then performed a sonorus spell on the talking end. If someone came their way, they'd know long before that person could hear what they were saying.

xxxxx

"Got new ears then?" Neville said, striking up a more pleasant conversation for both of them.

"Yes. But it was a close call. It's not like I could have told them how I lost my original pair now, is it? Luckily, I was able to invent a use for them in my story about how we broke into Snape's office, and make it seem as though they played the most innocent of parts."

"You lied to them?" Neville was looking incredulously at her.

"I'd prefer to call it giving them a more preferable truth."

She was going to ignore the look he was giving her. Ignore it, she was going to do. She was going to keep her back turned to him until she had picked up the latest issue of Quidditch Weekly which she had in her trunk. Ignore it as she sat down and kept her face buried in her magazine. She was not going to let him get in under her skin.

xxxxx

"Look," she said, caving in under Neville's disapproval. "I don't like to lie. I admit, I'm very good at lying, and I used to like lying. A lot! But I'm not that little kid any more, who told you that she was just going to get more punch when really she wanted to talk with the Ravenclaw by the drinks table. If I lie, it's because I have to, and you know it. What was I supposed to do, tell my brothers I used the ears to spy on a conversation between Snape and Voldemort? And that I lost them because we only had one chance to set them up, and never again a chance to pick them up? Huh? Because if I had, then my parents would make me look like I had gotten some horrible disease and then you and Luna would have to take care of the army yourselves. Of course you'd probably have no problem on your own, I'm just in the way... Aren't I?"

She finally threw down her magazine to face him. He was in shock. It was like nothing she had said had been expected or made any sense. Seeing the book in his hands, she realised that he hadn't been looking at her at all. It wasn't his disapproval she had been feeling...

"I..." he started to say. Then he shook his head and started over. "I understand that you had to lie... I don't like it either... but I've had to do so too. And I understand."

Ginny was certain that her hair and face were unison in colour.

"I .. I... I need to go to the loo. Be right back!"

Rushing out of the compartment, hastily making sure that she didn't mess up the extendable ear, she ran to the closest toilet.

xxxxx

Neville looked down on the hand he had unconsciously stretched out towards his old friend as she rushed off. Embarrassedly he retracted it. This explosion of hers had been building up for some time. His cheeks heated as he thought back to what she had said about the Yule ball. He remembered it well, that's how she met Michael Corner. That was how he had been stood up for the first time ever. Along with his first time ever taking a girl somewhere, even if it had been school mandatory. Apparently she had been feeling worse about it than she had let on. He had gotten over it fairly quickly, he was used to rejection. And it wasn't like either of them had gotten into it with expectations of an actual date, was it? But what really troubled him at the moment was the last thing she had said... "I'm just in the way." How many times hadn't he felt exactly like that when he was younger? How impossible wasn't it to imagine Ginny thinking that way about herself? She was the one who had called up on him and Luna to start the D.A. She had always been radiating with confidence and determination, how could she have been harbouring such feelings during this time? It couldn't be related to her stay at home for Christmas, could it?

Absently he noted that the train was leaving the station. How was he going to handle things when she came back...? What would Luna do? Where was Luna by the way? They were already leaving the station, she should have boarded the train by now. Would it be her or Ginny coming in that door first? And what should he say to either of them? This was just too complicated...

xxxxx

"I am not going to cry any more than this," she said angrily to her reflection that mercilessly revealed how her features had been distorted by tears. "I resolved back then, I was not going to be a crybaby. I knew Harry would have to go after You-know-who, and I knew the last thing he'd want would be for me to cry about it. I knew my family would only get more involved into the war."

Yes, she knew all of that. She knew that if she was going to be someone others could depend on, she would have to be strong. This was not the time to break down in front of one of the people she wanted to be able to depend on her. The only times she could allow herself to let loose was when she was completely alone. Harry, Neville, Luna, Hermione and her entire family... The members of the D.A. and her teachers... None of them could be allowed to see her weak. She whipped out her wand and begin cleaning of her face and put disillusioning charms to remove any visible trace of her tears. How was she going to explain her outburst? Should she just pretend like nothing had happened? Right, that would make her the idol of sanity... She could always blame it on hormones, tell him that she was on her period. Yes, that's it! No guy questions a girl's period! Right, a plan! Now it's all about getting the game face on. She looked deeply into the mirror and gave herself her most blazing look.

"I am Ginny Weasley. I will do what I have to do. I am dependable."

xxxxx

There wasn't a knife sharp enough to cut through the tension in the compartment. The awkward silence, and the uncertainty of who should go first. That's when Ginny noticed something she should have noticed at once.

"Where's Luna? Hasn't she come by this compartment?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since before Christmas."

"But the train's moving! Did she miss it? Should we go look for her?"

"I don't know," said Neville, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe she decided to sit with friends from her own house?"

It was true that Luna had been getting along better with people since she became one of the leaders of the school resistance, and that she had made more friends in her own house.

"Maybe," she conceded. "Any way, we don't want to make us look suspicious, insisting on sitting together the three of us no matter what."

"We'll see her at school," Neville said positively.

"Yes, we will," agreed Ginny, before they were consumed by the return of the awkward silence.

Neville twiddled with his thumbs, and Ginny fingered threads coming loose on her robes.

xxxxx

"So how was your holiday?" Neville asked, breaking through.

"So and so," she answered, bracing herself to look him in the face. "It wasn't the same with Ron not being able to join and all. But mum cooked great food as usual, and dad liked the present I gave him. My brothers gave me some nice gifts for once. How was it for you?"

"The usual. I think mum has been getting better though. When I told her some of the things that happened since last I saw her, she smiled and nodded. And she gave a start when I told her about Death Eaters attacking Hogwarts and Dumbledore dying, so she must have understood what I was saying. Dad seemed aware I was there for once."

"That's great, Neville! How was your grandmother?"

Seeing Neville talk about his parents, more openly now than he had in the past, it made her more aware of how strong he really was. It made her feel embarrassed for her own weaknesses. But at the same time, it made her feel better.

"She was her usual self," Neville shrugged. "No ministry change is ever gonna affect her. When she heard some of the things I told mum and dad, she told me that I was becoming more like them. I don't know if she meant it as a compliment though, or if it just meant that she was going to be worried about me. But she did make the best Christmas pudding I've ever had that Christmas so..." He shrugged again, and Ginny chuckled.

"Family," she said. "What can you do?"

"Yeah," he said chuckling with her. "Can't understand them..."

"... and can't be understood by them either."

They both laughed at this. As far as each was concerned, the other had forgotten entirely what had happened earlier. None of them saw any reason to breach the subject, so they kept talking about just everything else.

xxxxx

When they arrived at Hogsmeade, they started looking around for Luna. They should at least go with her in the carriage. But she was nowhere to be seen. For the first time since the subject of the missing Luna had been breached, Ginny was starting to worry. Relax, she told herself. Luna might not have gotten off the train yet.

"Should we get a carriage?" asked Neville in a low tone of voice, trying not to whisper.

"We could wait for her, I think," answered Ginny as she saw both students waiting for friends and carriages that were already filled leaving for Hogwarts.

More and more students filed out of the train and fewer and fewer carriages were remaining unoccupied. Soon the only students left at the station was the two of them and a couple of third years that had been waiting for the last of their group of friends to return from the train toilet before it left. Neville turned to the conductor that made sure the third year got off the train.

xxxxx

"Excuse me, sir," he said, getting the man's attention. "A friend of ours haven't shown up, is she still on the train somewhere?"

The man shook his head.

"No, I'm sure she's not. I just checked the train front and back for stragglers. This last one using the toilet was the only one aboard besides personal. You probably missed each other, if she was on the train here, I'm sure she's up at the school for dinner. Like you two should be." He indicated the last carriage as well as the carriage that the three third years were already riding up to school with.

"Thank you, sir," said Neville. "See you at the end of the year."

He and Ginny hurried on to the carriage and sat up.

"Do you reckon he's right?" Ginny asked.

"Maybe," said Neville. "But any way, if she didn't come on the train, there's nothing we can do about it."

"You don't think anything's happened to her, do you?" asked Ginny worriedly.

"No, I don't," Neville replied decisively. "She's very strong and brave, she'll be alright."

"Yeah, you're right." Luna would not let herself get captured.

xxxxx

But when they arrived at school, they found that Luna was nowhere to be seen along the Ravenclaw table, or any of the others in the Great Hall. For the first couple of days they returned to their school routines, but they were at first hesitant to call to a meeting without Luna there.

"We have to do this," said Ginny, as she and Neville were discussing the matter in hushed voices in the library. There was less Death Eater control here, as madam Pince was generally indiscriminate in restricting noise making. "If we don't call to a meeting, the others will lose their will to fight. Luna wouldn't want us to lose focus, wherever she is."

"I know, but can't we wait just a little? She might yet show up..."

"How?" Ginny shook her head. "If she didn't come with the train because she narrowly missed it, the school would have arranged for a floo or portkey. She either didn't come because she was or is still sick, and has to lie in bed. Or because her father insisted on her safety. Or because..." She hesitated. "... or because she has decided for herself not to come back because she has found another way for her to be useful to the fight." Ginny hoped more for that alternative than the unspoken one.

xxxxx

"Maybe... But then she would contact us, no?" Neville flipped the page of the book infront of him, to make it appear as if he were actually looking for some information that would aid his schoolwork in it. "But you're right. We have to have a meeting. It's no longer our choice now, is it? It has become more like our responsibility..."

"I know... Now I know how they felt two years ago."

"You mean Harry and them?"

"Yeah," said Ginny, scratching nonsense and doodles on her parchment as madam Pince walked by. "They had to organise all of this, with people having such high expectations of them because of who they were and what they had done. It's really a pressure you can't understand until you feel it for yourself."

"Very true," Neville replied, soaking up the somber truth in her words. "But back to business, when should we have the next meeting?"

xxxxx

They decided to have the next meeting on the following Friday at 9 pm, after the forbidden time to be in the corridors. It would have been nice if they had that map that Harry had, but Ginny hadn't thought of asking for it during summer. You realise much more in retrospective, she guessed. Anyway, they had managed to sneak into the room of requirement during night hours before, and it was the best time. Security was always the sharpest on Saturday night, and other nights they couldn't stay up too long, since being caught asleep in class now had strict punishments applied to them. That Friday morning she received her usual subscriptions of the Daily Prophet, a Quidditch magazine (the only way she could enjoy the game now that their extracurriculars had been restricted) and of course this weeks copy of the Quibbler. She hadn't read any of The Quibbler during Christmas break, her mother had insisted that she kept to any homework she had been given over the holidays, or to play with her brothers instead. Overprotective parents could be such a bother... Hold on, Ginny thought as she looked at the front page of The Quibbler. What the...?

xxxxx

At 9 pm as many as were going to come had gathered in the room of requirement. People were looking a bit worried, and Ginny couldn't blame them. Those that had returned from Christmas had gotten their first head on contact with the world outside since Voldemort took over the ministry. For many this had added a new depth to what they were doing here, which in the long run was only good. The only problem Ginny saw...

"Now," started Neville, alerting Ginny who suddenly remembered that she was the one who was supposed to start the meeting this time. "before any of you ask," Neville continued, "some of you may notice that we're not our full numbers right now. Luna Lovegood has yet to come back from Christmas break, and we have yet to hear from her. Also missing, are Clara Rivers, Jack Dane and Peter Griffith. Unless anyone here has heard what's happened to either of them, we are left to assume that they're either not returning to Hogwarts or are experiencing extreme delays. Does anyone in this room know anything about these missing people? Yes?" Neville pointed towards a student that had raised their arm.

"By not returning to Hogwarts, does that mean they've run away from the fight?"

"No, not necessarily. It could mean a number of things. They could have decided to take up the fight a different way, away from Hogwarts. They could have been taken abroad by their families fleeing the country against their will. They could even be part of the growing list of misdeeds by Death Eaters..."

"Luna would never flee from the fight," spoke a timid Ravenclaw. "She hasn't been killed, has she?"

"Of course not!" said Ginny with conviction.

"How can you be so sure?"

Ginny wouldn't answer. So Neville did it in her stead.

"Because Luna Lovegood is the best example to show that you don't have to be a Gryffindor to be brave and strong, just like Hermione Granger is the best example to show that you don't have to be a Ravenclaw to be smart. But like the rest of her house, she's also frighteningly clever, even if her enemies may underestimate her. In her wake, let us all work our hardest to continue the fight!"

xxxxx

A roar of agreement arose and Neville sneaked a look towards Ginny. While she smiled, her smile looked fake, and her eyes seemed glazed over. But she quickly came to herself and walked up closer to the crowd to speak up.

"We have prepaired a operation to jumpstart this semester. Combining two suggestions from the suggestion box we have a plan to make things difficult for our dear Mr Filch, which will be used as a distraction for while we execute another part of the operation: To see if we can locate the missing first year. Anyone volunteering to make things difficult for Mr Filch, raise your hand now." As several hands shot up she continued. "You need to be quick on your feet and know protego and accio well." Some hands were lowered, but enough remained. "Those of you still holding your hands up, are going to meet with me here one week from now. I will be volunteering myself for this part."

"Those of you interested in finding the first year with me, raise your hands." For some reason, Neville noticed, several girls' hands shot up instantenously through the air. He guessed that it had to do with some sort of maternal instinct... "You will need to be good at keeping yourself hidden and sneak around, and we shouldn't be too many. Healing spells are a bonus, because the boy might need medical attention. Knowing the Patronus spell might be a good idea too, because there's a probable risk that they have a dementor on guard." Several hands were dropped, but the few remaining were now prepaired for what hazards they might have to face. "Great, I will see you the day before Ginny's group meet up, the coins will tell you what time. Now, does anyone have anything else they wish to discuss?"

xxxxx

After the meeting was adjourned, Neville turned towards Ginny.

"What's wrong, Ginny? Something happened?"

"Read this!" Ginny slammed her copy of The Quibbler on a table she required.

Neville looked down on the paper infront of him. A huge picture of Harry Potter took up half the front page above the headline.

_Undesirable Number 1_

_Harry Potter has very fittingly been given this name as he is a very horrible young wizard. He has no concern for the lives of innocent, but only for his quest to seek out You-know-who, who is much too weakened by the efforts of our ministry to be of any of our concern._

Neville couldn't believe what he was reading, he looked once more to make sure that it was The Quibbler and not The Daily Prophet.

"Why would Luna's dad write this load of bollocks?" he asked Ginny, anger dominating his voice. "Have the Death Eaters finally started seeing him as a threat? Have they started to threaten his life?"

Clearly agitated, Ginny shook her head with small, quick movements.

"Luna said that even if they threatened his life he would not change his mind," Ginny spoke with a trembling voice, keeping her eyes low so that Neville couldn't really read her expression. "They would have to offer him something more valuable than his life."

"What are you saying, Ginny?"

"They've got Luna hostage, it's the only explanation! She isn't coming back to us."

xxxxx

His jaw dropped, and Ginny was trembling violently. Inside she was fighting between cries of despair and bouts of anger. She wasn't going to cry, anger was more useful to her, but Neville wasn't the one that her anger concerned. It was Voldemort, always Voldemort.

"They've got her. They've got her, and if Mr. Lovegood doesn't do as they want him to, they'll... They'll..." Anger and fear coursed through her like a violent current.

"They won't kill her, she's strong, isn't she?" Neville clasped his arms around her, and pulled her into a tight embrace. He was worried that all that trembling might lead her to getting hurt. "Besides, her pureblood status will keep her protected won't it?"

"From death, maybe," Ginny hiccuped as she stubbornly forced away tears and sobs. "But the crucio doesn't kill!"

"No...," Neville started saying with a weak voice. "It does something far worse..."

She bit her lip in regret, and pushed herself away from Neville just enough to put one of her arms comfortingly around his shoulders.

"Oh Neville, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright! It's alright." As she wasn't shaking anymore, he released his grip on her so that he could stroke the arm of hers that wasn't draped over his shoulders. "Besides, judging from this article, Mr Lovegood is doing what he's told to. They won't hurt her unless he tries to resist, which he wouldn't. No parent would."

"I know."

xxxxx

She still didn't look all that comforted to him, so he put his arm over her shoulders and decided to go all anectdotal on her.

"And you know Luna, remember back when we were trapped in Umbridge's office? And she calmly pointed out that Goyle's shoes were tied the wrong way, and then shot a bodybinding curse on him?"

They both laughed at the memory of Goyle simply letting his hostage go to take a closer look at his shoes, and of Luna quickly pulling out a wand as Draco had just noticed what happened and admonished his housemate for his stupidity. Which gave Ginny the perfect opportunity to elbow her own captor and start a commotion with several well-aimed Bat Bogey Hexes.

"Yeah...," Ginny said as the laughter grew quiter. "And back in the department of mysteries, she was able to take down two death eaters by herself, and still avoid hitting Ron who was out of his mind right then."

They looked at each other, and suddenly they didn't feel so alone anymore. Even if Luna wasn't there with them to help with the DA, she was still their best friend. And more importantly, they still were each other's best friends, and none of them felt they could ask for any better.

xxxxx

Ginny turned serious again, and looked Neville in the eyes.

"The six of us were prepared back then to do what we had to do. Now we are so again, even if we're separated. You and I have to be strong now, the other students are depending on us."

"I know..." said Neville. "And it is for Harry's sake in the end, isn't it?"

"In the end," Ginny nodded. "I have this gut feeling that everything will end here at Hogwarts. He'll come back, and then the fight will be for real. But even if he doesn't, even if Harry defeats Voldemort off some place we'll never know of or be to, we have to keep fighting here. We can't let Death Eaters have full control over this school."

"He'll be back, Ginny," Neville said as they started walking to the exit. "I know he will."

"You're right," Ginny said before they opened the door and started making their way to Gryffindor tower. And she hoped he was.


End file.
